


Lead

by sinchun



Series: NCT Life in a Pack [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Lee Taeyong, Alpha Nakamoto Yuta, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Lee Taeyong-centric, Omega Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Pack Dynamics, Scenting, everyone is whipped for doyoung, implied polyamory, mentioned past taeten, minor yujae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinchun/pseuds/sinchun
Summary: When the pack forms, they ask Taeyong to be their head. Overwhelmed by the trust his friends are putting in him, Taeyong can only nod and try do his best to be a lead alpha they're proud of.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung & Lee Taeyong, Lee Taeyong & Nakamoto Yuta, Minor or Background Relationship(s), NCT Ensemble & NCT Ensemble
Series: NCT Life in a Pack [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043016
Comments: 12
Kudos: 152





	1. Formation, 2016

When they first form their pack, it feels only natural for them to ask Taeyong to be their head. The company had already chosen him to be the leader of their band, and he was the first one in their group to have presented as an alpha. It’s only natural.

At first, Taeyong demurs. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to step on any toes,” he says, glancing quickly first at Taeil, the oldest member in the pack, then at Yuta, the only other alpha.

Both smile encouragingly back at him. “I couldn’t imagine anyone else being lead alpha,” Taeil tells him, and Yuta nods in agreement.

“Stop being so humble, and just accept it,” says Yuta with a wide grin.

Overwhelmed by the trust his friends are putting in him, Taeyong can only nod and hold out his arms in the universal gesture for requesting a group hug. The pack crowds around him, limbs and faces crushing together as they hug each other. Taeyong finds his nose pressed against Jaehyun’s armpit and into the younger boy’s sweater, he whispers a fervent, “Thank you.”

They spend the rest of the day holed up in 127’s dorm, cuddling and scenting each other to strength their bond as a pack. The pups, who still make up more than half of the fledgling pack at this point, might not have distinctive scents yet — or strong enough noses to smell the difference — but they still participate in the bonding ritual. When each of them eventually presents as either alpha, beta, or omega, the pack will go through the process again to reaffirm their bonds.

Taeyong drags the comforter from his bed and carries it out of the room he shares with Yuta to toss it in the middle of the living room floor. “Free real estate for snuggling,” he tells everyone.

Jisung, the baby of the group at only fourteen, is the first to flop onto the blanket, followed by the rest of the pups: Jaemin, who pulls Jeno along by the hand, then Renjun and Chenle in cautious tandem, and finally Haechan pushing Mark into the quickly forming cuddle puddle. Once he has Mark thoroughly pinned between Jeno and him, Haechan turns to Taeil. “Hyung!” he calls. “Come join!”

The eldest member of the pack doesn’t hesitate to indulge the youngsters. Slipping from his spot on the couch next to Yuta, he wraps Haechan in a hug and rubs his face against the pup’s, causing Haechan to laugh and playfully try to squirm away from his scenting. “Hey, you asked for it,” teases Taeil.

In his absence, Yuta snuggles closer to Taeyong. “Clever move with the comforter,” he murmurs, voice low enough that no one else will likely hear him.

“What do you mean?” asks Taeyong.

Yuta gives him a look. “With everyone cuddling on your comforter, the whole pack is liable to be _drenched_ in your scent by the end of the day.”

Taeyong flushes. “I hadn’t thought about that,” he replies, which isn’t a lie, but Yuta is right. He watches Winwin curl up next to Renjun, and knows that they’ll all smell like him before too long. The realization pleases him as an alpha.

“It’s your right to scent everyone. You're the lead alpha,” Yuta points out languidly. He stretches his arms over his head and flashes Taeyong a cheeky smile. “Should I join them? Add my scent to the mix?”

Laughing, Taeyong reaches out to pull him into a hug. He brushes his face purposefully against the Yuta’s neck, close enough to his scent glands to make the other boy shiver. “I can scent you just fine like this.” Taeyong’s tone is teasing, but his eyes are trained on Yuta, watching for any sign of displeasure.

Yuta may have joined in the request for Taeyong to assume the role of lead alpha, but they both know he had a right to fight for the title. He still can if he wants to. The two of them are the only alphas in the pack and they’re of age. And secretly, Taeyong worries that there might be some hard feelings between them, leftover from their days as trainees together. Back when Yuta first presented as an alpha, Ten had been the only omega in their cohort, and he had chosen to spend his heats with Taeyong. But then Yuta had helped Jaehyun through his first heat when the younger boy presented as a beta, and Taeyong had assumed everything was fine, though some lingering stress about it persists.

But Yuta just tilts his head back, baring more of his neck to Taeyong—a clear sign of submitting to the lead alpha.

Taeyong can feel Jaehyun’s eyes on them as he scents the other alpha. Perched alone on the armchair in the corner of the living room, Jaehyun watches them with a hawkish interest that makes Taeyong’s skin burn. He lets Yuta scent him back, then turns his attention to Jaehyun.

“Why aren’t you with everyone else?” he asks, not unkindly. “There’s plenty of space for you to join in.”

Jaehyun averts his gaze at the question. He fidgets, picking at a loose thread on his sweater sleeve. “I just…” he begins, then trails off, frowning.

Yuta brushes past Taeyong to lie down in the midst of the pack’s cuddle puddle. “C’mon, Jaehyunnie,” he beckons. “Don’t you want to snuggle with everyone?”

And it’s like he’s spoken the magic words. Jaehyun instantly goes to the comforter on the floor and lets the pups press up against him, Jaemin on one side and Chenle on the other. “It’s nice,” he admits, voice muffled by the arm Yuta has thrown haphazardly over his face.

Squashing down the irritable part of him that wonders why Jaehyun responded to Yuta but not to him, Taeyong watches everyone cuddling together and his heart warms. _Mine,_ he thinks. With a smile, he goes to the floor to join the rest of his pack, where Mark immediately tucks himself under one arm, and everything feels perfect.

Except—

Except for one small thing.

Taeyong tries not to let it bother him, the fact that their pack doesn’t have any omegas. He knows that omegas are slightly less common, though with seven pups, it’s statistically likely that one of them will present as an omega. Privately, Taeyong suspects it will be Jaemin, who is soft and nurturing—ideal omega traits.

But for now, he misses Ten and Doyoung. The two omegas from their trainee group flit in and out of promotions with NCT frequently enough that they are _almost_ part of the pack, but when it comes down to it, the company keeps them too busy elsewhere for them to have found a proper place within their pack. It frustrates Taeyong to no end, and their managers are always cagey when asked about the plan for NCT’s configuration in the future.

He hopes they’ll both be able to join the pack soon. Not just because he knows they would bring a comforting omega presence to balance the group out, but because they are both dear friends of his. Ten’s the only person he’s ever given a claiming bite to, though they’d let it lapse two years ago. And he’s always worked well with Doyoung, who is so caring, a mother hen to everyone around him. He’d be nice to have around for the pups.

 _And maybe Jaehyun would snap out of whatever funk he currently seems stuck in_ , thinks Taeyong with a frown. He knows the two younger boys have always been close.

“What’s on your mind, hyung?” Mark’s voice interrupts his thoughts. The pup has twisted around in his arms to give him a curious look. “You seem far away.”

Taeyong smiles, pushes his nose into Mark’s hair and wonders what he’ll smell like once he presents. “It’s nothing,” he replies. _There’s no use in dwelling on things outside of your control,_ he reminds himself.

At Jisung’s urging, they turn on a movie, some light-hearted comedy that makes even Winwin giggle, as the light outside fades into evening. They order takeout, and when it arrives, the pack bundles themselves up from the floor to sit around the dining table. Haechan whines at Yuta until the older boy agrees to share his food, then it’s a free-for-all, with everyone splitting meals and feeding each other.

It’s due to the years most of them spent together as trainees, Taeyong knows, that their pack bonds are already so strong. Absent-mindedly opening his mouth to let Taeil feed him a spoonful of soup, he silently promises to do right by all of them. _I will do my best to be a lead alpha they’re proud of._

After dinner, Taeyong and Winwin walk Jeno, Jaemin, Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung back to the dreamies’ dorm, another unit downstairs in the same apartment building. No one really wants to part ways. Renjun manages to get the last hug in, a lingering embrace with his arms wrapped around Winwin’s waist. Winwin brushes his hand through Renjun’s hair and murmurs something soft in Mandarin to the younger boy.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Taeyong reminds the dreamies. “It won’t be long at all.”

When he and Winwin get back to 127’s dorm, he’s greeted by the sight of Yuta and Jaehyun cuddled together on the couch. Yuta has his hand slipped up under Jaehyun’s sweater and is stroking comforting circles on his lower back. Something about it makes Taeyong’s stomach clench, and he isn’t really sure why.

Ignorant to Taeyong’s inner turmoil, Winwin heads to the coach and curls up on Yuta’s other side. Yuta immediately shifts to put his free arm around Winwin’s shoulders, and Taeyong has to admit the three of them look perfectly at home with each other. _It… makes sense_ , he is loath to admit. He knows that Yuta was the one to keep both betas company through their initials heats when they presented. At the time, he had been too wrapped up in Ten to spare any attention to the others’ cycles, a fact for which he now feels guilty.

 _Why didn’t Yuta challenge me for the title of lead alpha?_ he wonders, feeling like maybe the other alpha deserves the title more than he does. It’s telling, he thinks, that Winwin and Jaehyun are both snuggled up with Yuta right now, and not him. _But they chose you as the head,_ he reminds himself. _They wanted you._ Still, he can’t seem to drag his eyes away from the spot where Yuta’s hand disappears under Jaehyun’s sweater.

“Taeil, Mark, and Haechan are getting ready for bed,” Yuta tells him, misinterpreting his staring, “if you were looking for them.”

Taeyong shakes his head, forces himself to smile brightly. “Ah, I wasn’t,” he replies truthfully. “I was just thinking about how honored I feel that you all chose me to lead our pack.”

Jaehyun sits up and reaches out a hand to him. “You’re a natural leader,” he says simply, then when Taeyong slips his hand into his, adds, “It’s not just the company who thinks so.”

Taeyong rubs his thumb over Jaehyun’s knuckles. He believes Jaehyun when he says it, and two of them have been friends for just over four years now, but Taeyong can tell that there’s something else weighing on his mind, something left unspoken beneath the surface. Taeyong wonders how long it will take, how much work he will need to put in, for the younger boy to open up to him about what’s bothering him.

He wants so desperately to be good lead alpha. Now that they’ve established their bonds as a pack, his biology is yelling at him to protect and comfort the others. But Taeyong knows that he can’t push too hard with Jaehyun or else he’ll scare him off. _He’s a little bit like Doyoung in that way,_ muses Taeyong. _A little more fragile and little more secretive than you’d first think._

“Thank you for believing in me,” he says instead, then squeezes Jaehyun’s hand. “It means a lot to me.”

Jaehyun smiles at him, his dimples underscoring the sincerity of it. Then he yawns and urges Winwin to come ready for bed with him—“It’s getting late.”—leaving Taeyong and Yuta alone in the living room.

Taeyong wants to cuddle up with Yuta. But he also wants to finally ask the question that’s been burning in the back of his mind all day. “Do you really not mind?” he blurts out. Yuta arches an eyebrow at him, and he is quick to clarify, “That I’m lead alpha.”

Laughing, Yuta pats the space on the couch next to him. When Taeyong sits down, he pulls him into a hug and says, “You shouldn’t get so in your head about it.” He squeezes at the nape of Taeyong’s neck. It’s soft and soothing, and feeling like he could just melt into Yuta’s hands, Taeyong lets his eyes flutter shut. “Being lead alpha seems like it would be so much work, you know? I don’t think I want that,” continues Yuta in a light-hearted voice.

“You’re sure?” asks Taeyong, eyes still closed. He snuggles closer to Yuta. He’s not a very traditional lead alpha, he knows. He isn’t very aggressive and would rather talk out any disagreements with his pack than assert his dominance through a show of brute strength.

“I’m very sure,” Yuta tells him, laughing. “We want _you_.”

Taeyong smiles, lets himself indulge in the warmth of cuddling together with Yuta for a few moments longer, before excusing himself for bed. He collects his comforter from the floor and deposits it unceremoniously back on his bed, then goes to brush his teeth.

 _Seven boys is little much for one bathroom,_ he thinks as he rummages through the bathroom cabinets to find his toothbrush. He and Haechan are the only ones to have labeled their toiletries, and honestly, Taeyong wouldn’t be surprised if at some point one of the others will mix up their toothbrushes and end up with a mouthful full of someone else’s dried spit. The thought makes his nose wrinkle, even though most of them have already exchanged saliva through kissing.

As he finishes brushing his teeth Mark barges into the bathroom with an apologetic, “I forgot to floss!” that Taeyong takes in stride. The two stand next to each other at the sink, finish their nightly routines, then bid each other a good night.

When Taeyong curls up under his comforter to go to sleep, he is awash with the scents of all his pack members mixing pleasantly together, and he knows Yuta is right.

They chose him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is self-indulgent garbage, but I still live for comments.
> 
> It will be explained later, but for anyone wondering now: claiming bites are not the same as mating bites, but are a less intense, temporary variation. Although there’s a lot of polyamory, certain couples will settle into place over the course of this series. This story mostly just lays the groundwork for the AU, with more stories to come that delve deeper into certain relationships.
> 
> Roommate arrangements for the curious: (127) Taeyong and Yuta; Taeil, Jaehyun, and Winwin; and Mark and Haechan; (Dream) Jeno, Jaemin, and Jisung; and Renjun and Chenle.


	2. Adjustment, 2017

They move when Doyoung and Johnny join 127. The new apartment building is nicer than the old one, and the two dorms are now situated on opposite ends of the same floor. The roommate situation needs to be rearranged too; there are more of them now, and the apartments are laid out differently, and the task of figuring out where to room everyone falls to Taeyong. As lead alpha, the decision is ultimately his, but still he listens to his members’ thoughts on the matter.

Everyone has opinions, of course.

“Haechan and I can move in with the other dreamies,” offers Mark. “It’d make the most sense.”

Taeyong makes a note of it. They’re sitting together in one of the company’s practice rooms with a box of takeout noodles for lunch. “Any thoughts on the roommates there? I know management originally put Chenle and Renjun together just because they’re both Chinese—” Taeyong snorts at the lazy thought process. “—but what do you think?”

Mark hums as he considers. He’s always had strong leadership skills and pays careful attention to the other pups, eager to provide and support, and Taeyong is beyond convinced that when the younger boy presents, he’ll be an alpha. “Jisung and Chenle have become close recently. They might enjoy rooming together,” says Mark eventually, before heading out and leaving Taeyong to continue working over his notes on what room everyone should go in.

Before too long, Doyoung wanders in to offer his suggestions. He leans over his shoulder to look at Taeyong’s notes and makes a disproving noise.

“What?” demands Taeyong, feeling defensive. “I thought you’d want to room with Jaehyun, or are the two of you having some fight that I don’t know about?”

“You should keep the betas together,” Doyoung tells him. He sits down and, taking the pen from Taeyong’s hands without asking, begins crossing out names on the pad of paper.

Taeyong growls in frustration, then immediately regrets it when Doyoung frowns at him. “Sorry,” he mumbles, sighs, and asks, “Why the betas though?”

Doyoung’s mouth twitches like he’s trying to hold back laughter. “Because of how susceptible they are to alpha and omega pheromones,” he explains.

 _Oh. Oh yeah, that’s a good point._ Unlike alphas, who experience ruts every other month, and omegas, who typically go into heat once a month, betas don’t have regular cycles. Instead, their biology reacts to those around them; a rutting alpha is liable to send a beta into heat, while an omega’s heat could start their rut. “You’re right. I should keep the betas together,” agrees Taeyong. He pulls the pad of paper back from Doyoung and glances down to see the changes the other boy has made. It’s sensible, though he can’t help but feel surprised when he notices that Doyoung has put himself in a room with Taeyong and Yuta. “You, uh… you’re sure you want room with two alphas?”

“We’re the only non-betas in the dorm,” Doyoung says with an easy shrug. “So long as you two can behave yourselves well enough during your ruts, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“We’re always well-behaved,” replies Taeyong automatically, and it's true. Over the course of the past year, he and Yuta have dealt handily with their cycles, which fortunately aren’t synced up with each other. When one of them goes into rut, the other vacates to the living room couch to give him space and privacy until it passes.

They’ve never fought over partners, and Taeyong sees no reason why that might change now, especially since he knows Yuta and Jaehyun have been giving each other claiming bites for the past year. It’s just a temporary way of saying, “Hey, this person is mine for the time being,” and Taeyong would never consider disrespecting that claim by seeking out Jaehyun during his rut, even if he was mildly surprised to learn of their commitment to each other. He doesn’t know if they’re serious enough to be considering mating bites. If they are, they’d have to ask for his permission to give them, those permanent bites located on the scent gland. _Just another responsibility as the pack’s lead alpha._

Doyoung smiles at him, ruffles his hair, and leaves him to finalize his rooming decisions.

There’s excitement in the air when they move into the new dorms, already set up for them by the company. As it’s closer to the elevator, they stop by the dreamies’ apartment first, where Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin immediately rush to their room to squabble over who gets which bed. Once the pups are settled, the older members continue on to their own apartment at the end of the hall.

Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Johnny snoop through the kitchen, while Taeil and Winwin scope out their room, but what Taeyong is most looking forward to is the fact that their new dorm now has two bathrooms instead of just one. He wanders into the largest bedroom, which was clearly intended to be a master suite, where three beds and dressers have already been set up for Doyoung, Yuta, and him. On the far side of the room is a door leading the apartment’s second bathroom.

 _This will be so much nicer than having to share with everyone,_ thinks Taeyong happily.

Yuta has followed him into the bedroom. “It’s a nice size,” he comments, casting an eye around. “Plenty of space for the three of us.”

Taeyong hums in agreement. “Any preference on which bed you want?” he asks.

“Don’t you think we should give Doyoung first pick?” asks Yuta. “Since he’s… you know…” He trails off.

“Because he’s new?” Taeyong asks confusedly. It _would_ be a nice gesture, he supposes.

Yuta snorts. “Because he’s an omega, I meant,” he clarifies. “You know how they can get picky about nesting and stuff when they’re in heat.”

And _oh_ , Taeyong feels so stupid for not thinking of that. To cover his embarrassment, he teases, “Aw, Yuta, are you already feeling protective of our Doyoungie?”

“I’d be lying if I said my instincts weren’t telling me to make sure he’s well taken care of,” says Yuta simply. “Aren’t yours?”

It’s true. The alpha in Taeyong wants very much to attend to the needs of the omega. “We’ll let Doyoung have first pick of which bed he wants,” he says, agreeing with Yuta.

Before long, the dreamies knock on the door and pile into the 127 dorm, asking if they can all have dinner together. “It’d be nice to share a meal together with the whole pack,” says Jisung shyly.

“We could order takeout,” suggests Taeil, but Doyoung offers to cook.

“I want to break in the new kitchen,” he says with a bright smile, then sends Yuta, Mark, and Haechan to the grocery store to buy some additional ingredients.

Taeyong settles himself at the dining table and watches as Doyoung, helped by Jaehyun, begins preparations in the kitchen. There’s something so sweet and domestic in the way the two work together. It makes Taeyong’s heart feel all warm and fuzzy.

Winwin takes a seat next to Taeyong, then squeaks indignantly when Chenle immediately sits down in his lap. Still, his arms find their way around the pup and hold him tight. Meanwhile, Taeil and Johnny, who have both always been so good with the youngsters, entertain Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, and Jisung with stories in the living room.

Taeil has just finished some ridiculous anecdote about their last tour when Yuta, Mark, and Haechan return with the groceries. Yuta delivers the shopping bags to Jaehyun with a quick kiss to the ear that makes Jaehyun blush and exclaim, “Hyung!” in an embarrassed whine, before Doyoung chases him out of the kitchen so they can focus on cooking.

After dinner, they pack goes through the motions of scenting and bonding again. They have two new members, after all. So as they mingle together, everyone pays extra attention to Johnny and Doyoung. Taeil presses his nose into Doyoung’s neck, his face flush against the one of younger boy’s scent glands, then Jaemin copies him—a pup’s cute attempt to participate in the scenting. Yuta and Johnny brush their cheeks together, and Johnny lets Mark twine around him in a loose-limbed hug.

Taeyong waits patiently to scent mark them last, so that his scent will be the strongest one to linger as befitting his title of lead alpha. He approaches Johnny first. The taller boy obediently bends down to let Taeyong sniff him then press their necks together, touching scent gland to scent gland. As they hug, he nips playfully at Johnny’s earlobe and is rewarded with a warm laugh from the beta.

He goes to Doyoung next, catching him in an embrace. As trainees, Doyoung had always been his closest collaborator musically, and Taeyong is beyond grateful to have him join 127. He holds onto Doyoung tightly, running his hands up and down his back.

“Aw, hyung, you missed me, didn’t you?” asks Doyoung quietly, sounding amused, and Taeyong nods wordlessly into his shoulder. Doyoung twists to press his lips to Taeyong’s scent gland in the briefest of kisses before tilting his head back to reveal his own neck.

Taeyong brushes his cheek against Doyoung’s scent gland, taking stock of the way the younger boy shivers when he touches the sensitive skin, though Doyoung is all smiles when Taeyong steps back from him. The rest of the pack is quick to crowd around them, clamoring for their attention.

Doyoung is the first omega in the pack. Unsurprisingly, everyone else dotes on him. All he has to do is pout or whine a little, and everyone is falling over themselves to accommodate his requests. Even the pups are eager to please him, craving the acceptance and reassurance that only an omega can provide.

Taeyong can already tell that when Doyoung goes into heat, he’ll have his pick of the pack for who he wants to spend it with. Idly, he wonders who Doyoung might choose. Jaehyun and Yuta are both off-limits because of their claiming bites, he knows, but any of the other presented members would be more than happy to help the omega with his heat.

Without really thinking about about where his mind is wandering, Taeyong imagines a flushed and needy Doyoung asking for him, then immediately blushes and reprimands himself for the thought. _Don’t be fucking weird. When the time comes, if he asks for you, you’ll help him out, and if he asks for someone else, your feelings won’t be hurt by it._ A more traditional lead alpha might demand the omega take him to bed. It would be his right to, but Taeyong wouldn’t dream of forcing anyone into anything they didn’t fully want.

And when he watches the way Johnny brings a water bottle over to Doyoung without even being asked and how Winwin and Jeno are cuddled up on either side of him, Taeyong already knows that although he may be the lead alpha, it seems—and he can’t help but smile as he realizes it—that Doyoung is now the one with control over the rest of the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just think omegas deserve to be pampered and spoiled.
> 
> The new roommate arrangements are (127) Taeyong, Yuta, and Doyoung; Taeil and Winwin; and Johnny and Jaehyun; (Dream) Mark and Haechan; Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun; and Chenle and Jisung. None of the dreamies have presented yet, and we’ll meet WayV (also Jungwoo) later. Doyoung is an omega, Taeyong and Yuta are alphas, and the rest are betas. 
> 
> Although I have a basic idea of what some of the endgame couples will be in this AU, I’m open to any suggestions/requests in the comments!


End file.
